The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WAITSBURG – For Bill Fether of SteelFeather Auto, located at 615 Preston Ave., Christmas dreams came true a bit early this year.

Fether is excited to announce that he has expanded his former one-bay shop to three bays, and he plans to install a lift within the next six months.

Fether opened his shop just over a year ago, but said his business was relatively unnoticed until The Times ran a story on him last July. Fether said that once word got out, business started pouring in and hasn't stopped.

"Business has picked up and the reception has been great. People repeatedly tell me how happy they are that I'm here and that Waitsburg has wanted and needed a repair shop for quite awhile. I'm pleased to be filling a niche and my customers seem happy with my work," Fether said.

The increased business has allowed Fether to reach his first goal of expanding the business into adjoining bays. He says the planned addition of a lift ,in the near future, will be another game changer.

The additional space has made a huge difference already.

"Instead of waiting for parts on one car, I can continue working on another. Having three bays gives me the flexibility to keep turning a wrench. If I'm not turning a wrench, I can't make money," Fether said.

"This has cut wait times considerably. Customers get their cars back faster, turnover is quicker – it's good for everybody," he added.

Fether was also able to purchase a modern, high-end scan tool to help with diagnosis. The tool includes functionality for European (Volkswagon, Audi, BMW), domestic (Ford, Chrysler, GM), and Asian (Toyota, Honda, Lexus, Nissan) automobiles, he said.

Fether, who grew up working with cars, overhauled his first engine at age nine, when he used a pile of parts lying behind his home to build a 1.5 hp Briggs & Stratton engine into a lawnmower that he used for years.

He participated in Wa-Hi's vo-tech auto program before training at Universal Technical Institute in Arizona. He then worked in California, Arizona and Hawaii, before moving back to the Walla Walla Valley.

He chose to open a shop in Waitsburg rather than Walla Walla because he prefers small town communities and he felt he could fill a niche here.

Fether especially loves the challenge of electronics. He said a customer recently came in who had been told by a Walla Walla dealership that their 2014 Chevy pickup was in need of two new body modules, to the tune of $700.

Fether felt it was unlikely that both modules would have gone bad at the same time and spent two days tracking wires to discover two broken wires in a door panel.

"That saved the customer $600. And if they had replaced the modules, it still wouldn't have fixed the problem," Fether said.

Fether says he has been doing a lot of tune-ups on older vehicles, including carburetor adjustments and distributor recurves.

"I really love squeezing the last ounce of performance out of older carbureted vehicles. That's something I've always enjoyed," he said.

Fether has made an agreement to purchase bulk oil and says he can now offer oil changes of five quarts or less for $55. The service will include a free belt and hose inspection. Fether also offers a 10% discount to senior citizens and AARP members.

Fether said his goal is to continue to expand and reinvest in the business while keeping prices low. He said his low overhead allows him to keep his shop rate at half the rate of some of his competitors.

"I seem to be providing a service that people need and it looks like I'm on track for continued growth. I'm very thankful for the customers that have been so supportive and allowed that to happen," Fether said.